The present invention relates to an artificial disc to replace a damaged spinal disc in a spinal column.
A known artificial disc is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,130. U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,130 discloses an artificial disc having a resilient core. Concaval-convex plates at least partly surround the resilient core to retain the core between adjacent vertebral bodies in a spinal column. The concaval-convex plates do not have any openings extending through the plates into which the core deflects.
An artificial disc to replace a damaged spinal disc in a spinal column includes a resilient core having an upper surface and a lower surface. An upper retaining member has an outer surface engageable with a first vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface affixed to the upper surface of the resilient core. A lower retaining member has an outer surface engageable with a second vertebra of the spinal column and an inner surface affixed to the lower surface of the resilient core. One of the upper and lower retaining members has an opening extending through the outer and inner surfaces into which the resilient core deflects upon relative movement between the upper and lower retaining members.